The Simple Things
by Hopeful Romantic
Summary: A fluffy little ficlit about John and Aeryn and a moment when they stop to appreciate the simple things. Set during season 2.


**Disclaimer** (in best Golem voice: Mine. My precious...my precious) Oh (cough) sorry. Farscape is owned by the Jim Henson Company and all the grand high Mucky Mucks. I won't even make a Chucky Cheese token from this and no copyright infringement is intended. Any similarity to any story not my own, is coincidence.

**Rating:** PG for smooches and Farscape swears :)

**Timeline: **Ahh... back in the good ole days of season 2

**Summary: **This is one of my little sugar ficlits..heheh...John and Aeryn dancing through that magnetic pull thing that they did through season 2

**Author's Notes: **Did I mention that is one is fluffy like cotton candy :)

Originally posted on breaks show with ellipsis and boldface.

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**_The Simple Things_**

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"**Where is it Chiana?"** Aeryn's voice was dark and menacing as she matched the Nebari's stride down the golden corridor.

"I told you, Aeryn, I don't have it," Chiana protested.

"I will not play this game with you Chiana. I know you took it, and I want it back," Aeryn's voice brooked no argument.

The Nebari girl finally paused, facing off with the angry Sebacean warrior. Chiana's stance screamed defiance, and her voice was defensive. "For the last time, Aeryn, I did not take the felling thing. Now back the frell off!"

John had heard enough to know that the Nebari girl was treading a thin dangerous line with the ex-peacekeeper. He rounded the corner and took in the sight of his two shipmates facing off, looking for all the world as if it would turn into a physical confrontation at any moment.

"Oh, hey Pip, been lookin' for ya."

For a moment, neither woman broke their gaze from one another, Chiana's still defiant, and Aeryn's quietly becoming almost murderous. Finally, Aeryn broke the stand-off. "Take her," she said dismissively, and stalked off in the direction of the training room.

Before Chiana could say something to renew the confrontation, John grabbed the petite girl's arm and steered her away with a quietly hissed, "Not now, Pip."

Once they were well away, John stopped and turned Chiana to face him.

"Okay, Pip, what'cha take?"

"Look Crichton, just 'cause…"

John cut her off. "Pip, you do understand just what serious dren you are in, snurching from Aeryn, right?"

"Give me a break, Crichton. Aeryn's just lost it, and now she's mad, so she's blaming it on me."

John gave the lovely little Nebari a serious look, his expression that of a big brother saying, 'go ahead, tell me another one.'

Chiana tried for a look of innocence, but finally gave in with a sigh. "She's gonna kill me, Crichton. Especially after telling her that I didn't take it."

The look that Chiana gave John was so full of sincere defeat and worry, that John himself finally sighed.

"Okay, Pip. You give it to me, and I'll tell Aeryn that I found it."

Chiana's face lit up.

John gave a serious look to the little thief. "But if I do this for you, you have to promise to not take anything else from Aeryn."

When Chiana hesitated, "Pip, I mean it. No more."

"Crichton," Chiana said playfully.

"I mean it, Pip."

"I promise that I won't snurch anything else from Aeryn's room," Chiana said woefully.

John sighed, letting it go, knowing that he wasn't going to get a better promise from the Nebari girl. "Okay, where is it?" He asked.

"My quarters," she said, and headed down the corridor in the direction of her room.

John followed and waited outside the door while Chiana rummaged through her things. Finally she stood in the open doorway and produced the item that she had stolen. John tried to suppress his expression of surprise.

In Chiana's deft fingers, was a gleaming ivory hairbrush.

Suddenly, he couldn't help himself. "A hairbrush. This is all about a hairbrush?" John asked, his voice incredulous.

The Nebari girl shrugged slightly, almost, but not quite, seeming embarrassed. "Just give it back to her, okay?" And Chiana disappeared into her room, closing the privacy curtain behind herself.

John shook his head and murmured, still disbelieving, "A hairbrush? This is all about a frelling hairbrush?"

In his mind's eye, John could still picture the beautiful Sebacean's almost murderous look; her very real anger at the simple theft. The human had seen the look from the former peacekeeper before, but he found it hard to fathom why she had looked that way over such a common thing as a hairbrush.

John tapped the ivory hairbrush absently on his hand as he walked down the corridor back to his room, intending to return it later so that Aeryn had a chance to cool off. As he tapped the hairbrush, he felt the raised design against his palm. Mildly curious, he turned it over to examine it.

The design was elegant and beautifully simple, with a small twirl of ivy-like vines around the outside and a tiny star-like shape in the center. John found himself thinking that it was something like what he might get Aeryn, if he were to give her such a thing.

Suddenly, John smiled. "Like what I might get her," he said quietly and chuckled.

He remembered the gift the now. He had found it on a small commerce planet and thought of Aeryn upon seeing it. When he had given it to her, he had said quietly, "_For **you** to like." _He could remember the rare radiant Sun smile when she had taken it from the small wrapped box.

John chuckled once more, his own smile bright as he entered his quarters…

**John stood a **moment outside of Aeryn's room, listening for movement to determine if she was indeed inside her quarters. When he heard the light padding of Aeryn's bare feet on the floor, he knocked gently on the part of doorframe not covered with the privacy curtain. "Hey, Aeryn, can I come in?" John called.

The pad of feet stopped, and Aeryn's voice answered, "Come in."

John ducked through the privacy curtain. The swish of soft sound as he passed though was a whisper amongst the quiet breathing murmurs of Moya herself.

He saw Aeryn standing in the center of the room, preparing for the sleep cycle. Her boots were placed carefully in the corner and instead of her leathers, she wore a pair of his Calvins and a black t-shirt. At the moment, she was reaching up to try and undo her hair from the slightly messed braid that she had worn it in that day.

"Need this?" John asked, holding the hairbrush up so that she could see it.

Aeryn's eyes narrowed very briefly, but then she simply sighed, and nodded quietly. She held her hand out for the brush.

"Here, let me," John offered impulsively, moving to sit on her bed and patting the spot next to him.

She paused a moment, poised in an almost fight or flight stance as she considered the man sitting on her bed.

"Come on, Aeryn. I won't bite," John replied, grinning.

Aeryn nodded slightly, and moved to sit next to John, turning so that her back was to him, and bringing her legs up to cross in front of herself. John turned to face Aeryn's back, and carefully reached over to begin to work her long ebony braid loose.

With deft fingers, John unwound the braid until all of Aeryn's hair cascaded down her back and shoulders in soft waves and curls. Gently, he began to run the brush through her long hair, starting at the ends and working his way up at first.

"Relax, Aeryn," he said quietly.

"John," she replied, trying to turn and face him.

"Let me do this for you, Aeryn," he said gently, carefully placing his hands on her shoulders to turn her back to her former position.

Aeryn relented and once more turned her back to John. Carefully, he began to slid the brush through her hair. Gently, he worked out any tangles that he found until he could run the brush unimpeded through the softly curling tendrils. Eventually, Aeryn did relax under his tender ministrations, her head tilting back as she sighed softly.

John smiled, and ran the brush in tender strokes through the length of Aeryn's hair.

"How does that feel?" He asked in a deep, quiet voice.

"It's nice," she whispered, her own voice soft and pleased.

"I used to sneak out of bed sometimes when I was very little and sit on the stairs, and watch my father do this for my mother."

As he spoke, he continued to brush Aeryn's hair, his fingers running lightly through the soft strands as he swept the hairbrush through her curls.

"My father wasn't always very good with saying 'I love you,' but when he took that time to brush my mother's hair, she knew what he meant."

"It was then that I learned that sometimes it's the simple things, the things we say between the lines, that can be really important. Sometimes, it's those things that say, 'I love you.'"

After several more strokes, the brush finally stilled in John's hand and he leaned forward to gently inhale the subtle scent that she had used in her hair that day.

"You scented your hair," her murmured into her ear, his breath warm against her.

"Do you like it?" Aeryn asked, practically whispering.

"Yes," he responded and pressed himself against her so that he could nuzzle gently at her neck.

Aeryn sighed, tilting her head to the side so the John could slowly move his mouth along her neck. He kissed his way down to her shoulder until she turned to face him. For several heated heartbeats, they simply looked into each other's eyes before Aeryn finally brought her lips to John's.

Tenderly she nibbled at his lips until he opened his mouth and they deepened the kiss. Her hands reached for his shirt and they only broke the kiss long enough to pull the black garment over his head.

Aeryn brought her hands up to John's bare chest and pressed her fingertips lightly against his racing heartbeat. As she looked into his crystal blue eyes, she whispered, "I like that you like it." Then, gently, she pressed him back onto the bed, pausing only long enough to quickly remove his boots before she straddled him.

Suddenly, John was graced with one of her rare grins as she smiled playfully. She reached for his hands and held them captive above his head on the pillows. Then, with a teasing smile, she turned her head from side to side so that her long raven hair trailed softly along John's chest.

John gasped and moaned low in his throat as she teased her hair along his bare skin.

"Aeryn," he murmured when she finally freed his hands and he reached them up to cradle her head, his fingertips sliding into her hair. Passionately, he pulled her down for a kiss. With a fervor matching his, she deepened the kiss, her tongue darting into his mouth.

Suddenly, a sharp clatter broke them out of the moment as the ivory hairbrush fell from the bed to the mottled golden floor.

They both smiled quietly.

"Aeryn," he asked, "why is the brush so important to you?"

For several heartbeats she was silent, looking into his deep blue eyes, her own ocean blue ones, for at least the moment, inviting him into her heart and soul. "Because it was something you said between the lines," she finally replied quietly before she leaned down to kiss him…

**Fin **


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